http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-pol-republican-change-cox-flanagan-young-20181111-story.html by Kenneth Lovett
November 12, 2018
Despite calls for his resignation after New York Republicans last week lost three congressional seats and control of the state Senate, a defiant state GOP Chairman Ed Cox said he has no plans of going anywhere.
Cox told the Daily News that he will not only serve out his term that runs through September but plans to seek a new one after that.
(snip)
Meanwhile, despite the Democrats last week flipping eight Republican seats to take strong control of the state Senate, current Republican Majority Leader John Flanagan, of Suffolk County, is said by insiders to be close to securing the votes needed to serve as minority leader for his now-diminished conference.
Flanagan and Sen. Catharine Young, the Cattaraugus County Republican who headed the Senate GOP campaign committee, have been contacting their Republican colleagues to seek support to lead the conference moving forward.
Despite having backed Flanagan as majority leader—he then made her chairwoman of the powerful Finance Committee and head of the Senate GOP campaign committee—Young and Flanagan have not gotten along.
In June, he quietly took over much of the campaign efforts from her, Senate sources say.
“I firmly believe that John is the right person to lead us,†said Sen. Fred Akshar (R-Binghamton). “I don’t believe Cathy’s the right person to lead the conference. I just don’t think she possess the skills to bring people together.â€
(Another unnamed) senator said he believes “the right person†from upstate could unseat Flanagan as leader but added, “I don’t think that person is (Young). She’s not personally well liked.â€
(excerpt)
